Boo!
We're not expecting any beggars this evening. In fact, Halloween hasn't been a 'thing' in more years than I'd like to admit. All the same, I wanted to share a few flashbacks ...
Forget 'Days of Wine and Roses'! ... mine were the Days of Chewing Gum Whistles, Candy Cigarettes and Double Bubble.
What was your favorite?
Growing up in the 50's, Halloween was stupendous! Each year, we kids were permitted to attend school in costume -- where each class marched single-file, down and around the playground. A Parade of Costumes -- almost every one a by-product of our mothers' sewing machines.
(ca. 1956)
Third from the left, I loved my original clown suit!
Despite these photos, it seemed like we got the first snowfall nearly every year around Halloween. Each year, I'd act surprised and dismayed when my mother insisted I wear a winter coat over my costume
First on the agenda was a visit to 'old' Mrs. Doris who lived in our building. (Home-field advantage, lol.) Her home-made popcorn balls and caramel apples were ah-mazing.
A few years later, our Girl Scout troop traveled to the 'rich' part of town. Carrying pint-size milk cartons, we trick-or-treated for nickels and dimes on behalf of UNICEF. My face and fingers were numb from cold, but the apres hot cocoa and warm cookies made it all worthwhile. Good stuff.
* * *
Oh, before I go forgetting! Here's the full-size reveal of yesterday's 'Mystery' photo:
(Not the original)
This 'Skotch Kooler' was a fixture in the back seat on my parent's road trips -- containing little cans of Donald Duck orange juice and NEHI grape soda.
A few years ago I spotted this one in a thrift shop, and grabbed it up without even checking the price tag. Sometimes common sense needs to be told, 'take a hike.' Don't you agree?
* * *
So, I'm thinking tonight I'll fill an old wooden bowl with some hot buttered popcorn and call it supper. What wine do you suppose best pairs with PopSecret?
Have a spook-tacular time ... stay safe!
Hugs, Myra
Halloween was a wonderful night when we were kids. Now it just kind of reminds me that I'm getting to be in the old people category in the neighborhood. LOL I was right about the cooler! I wasn't sure because it looked pink in the picture to me. Oh well. Happy Halloween! Other than treats for the grands we are holing up inside and having ourselves a movie night, buttery popcorn and all!
ReplyDeleteYep, you nailed it. (I almost spit out my coffee.) Have a cozy evening!
DeleteLove the old photos! Halloween was so much fun back in the day. It's sad kids now can't enjoy it like we did. We never get any trick-or treaters in my neighborhood. It's basically just another normal day here. Hope you have a happy Halloween :)
ReplyDelete'Normal' days are good!
DeleteOh and so glad you scored the Skotch Kooler :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Me, too.
DeleteI love seeing your old photos and the cooler bag too. Great memories from the past.hope you enjoy the poporn and have a wondserful Halloween!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ma!
DeleteOkay, the cooler got me. LOL Yep there was one in every family that traveled or picnicked!
ReplyDeleteYour mama & you were creative, it is still apparent with your decorating. Thanks for a trip down memory lane, Probably in most of our lives some Halloween sticks out.
Love the post,
Sherry & jack, in a cool Florida today. (BUT NO SNOW!) LOL
Well, it wasn't a very clear picture. Now, I DON'T decorate ... if I put something down somewhere and Tom doesn't cringe, it stays! :)
DeleteWhat a great post,Myra! I love the sweet nostalgia of memories, and Halloween memories are among the best. I remember those candy cigarettes - and the wax chewing gum whistles.
ReplyDeleteI also remember kids wearing costumes to school. I like your orange clown costume!
I initially thought your mystery photo was a sewing basket. My mom had a sewing basket similar to that.
Have a happy Halloween and save some popcorn for me!
... and remember those miniature wax bottles with colored sugar water? I forgot about sewing baskets! Didn't everyone's mother have one?
DeleteFun post!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't allowed to go trick-or-treating when I was a child... except for ONE time. My father was working the 3-11 shift, and my mother reluctantly agreed to let me go out with my friends. (After much dramatic whining on my part, I'm sure.) I made myself a hula dancer outfit for the occasion. It was soooo cool, but unfortunately, the weather turned COLD... so my mother made me wear dungarees and a sweater underneath... and a coat on top. I was 13, and thought she was sooooo unreasonable. When I became a mother, our kids could only go trick-or-treating if Mike or I accompanied them. (They thought we were soooo unreasonable. HA)
We used to get a lot of trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood, but there's only been a trickle the past decade or so. I don't expect any to show up tonight, so I didn't even buy any candy.
Take care, and Happy Halloweeeen!!! (I think whatever kind of wine you like will go just dandy with that popcorn.)
I suspect that's in Mothers Book of Rules. If your kids don't think you're unreasonable, you've failed.
DeleteMy father worked the 3-11 shift, too! (Government security guard.) Poor mother, everything fell to her responsibility.
DeleteHalloween was a lot of fun when I grew up in the 50s!! Yes, I remember the school parades. Neat nostalgic posting today. I wasn't even close to guessing with tape and/or lunch box. But now that you show what it was...my folks had one too. Geez-louise, I shoulda figured it out.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for playing!
Isn't perspective wonderful? I've been saying "shoulda" all day. :)
DeleteNo wine with the popcorn-VODKA and OJ! LOLOLOLOL
ReplyDeleteHalloween was always fun, my employer is allowing us to dress up and guess what? I know I said MAD TEACHER--but I can not find my Halloween supplies/old stuff. Then we went to my employer and want to talk about CLEANED OUT! But my husband did locate the witches hat, so witches hat it is...that's it. sigh...oh well...plus wearing have to wear a mask is buzzkill anyways. LOLOL---NO trick or treating allowed here due to Covid, but I do believe folks are being creative on HOW they are doing so, lol.
Let's hear it for creativity! IMHO that's been sorely lacking.
DeleteWe don't have kids here either. Those begging days back in the 50s were great. We knew which houses gave popcorn balls, candy apples, and one man always gave nickels which meant a full-size candy bar from the local grocery! Then someone decided to put razor blades in the apples and candy. That ended it. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteOoooh, nickels! Clever man. Ya, I remember when the Grinch-wielding razor blades stole Halloween. Sad.
Deletenow you're cute pictures makes me think I don't have a single picture of me in a costume. I guess we didn't have cameras. I think the first camera we had was a brownie that mama bought in 1953 and we took it to Kentucky with us and then Kentucky nobody went trick-or-treating. I did go trick or treating from the time I was 6 till I was nine but there were only ten houses that we could go to but I remember one gave out nickel candy bars and we always went there first and I was always a witch or an Indian. Nothing to prove that but my memory and that's not what it used to be. I love your mother's Norwegian outfit and did not realize that she was Norwegian and I have never seen one of those plaid coolers before. Yet again because we lived in the country. I don't think we wore costumes to school but I really can't remember. If we did I don't remember it. But I do remember all the candy I used to get that from those 10 houses. When my kids came along it was in the era when we were afraid to let them go trick or treating and they went in my car and I drove them from relatives and Friends houses and let them run up to the door
ReplyDeleteSad (that) when your sons came along the creepy freaks did, too. It sounds like Dan, with his artistic bent, is making up for lost time!
DeleteYour old photos are great, Myra! I wish I had some of my brother and me from those old trick-or-treat days, though I have several of my own kids. Things were just so much simpler back when we were growing up, and there was so much more trust in one another. We do keep our house dark since Danny's boys outgrew Halloween; our driveway is steep, too, which could be a liability. I'm looking forward to the photos my daughter will be sending me of the grands in their costumes!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Simpler times, weren't they? I'm so looking forward to seeing your g'girls in their costumes! Blessings!
DeleteWishing you and your family a wonderful time this evening; even though it is different from past years.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember the sweets made to look like cigarettes. We had them and they made us feel grown up. Also, we had smoking pipes made of licorice.
I liked your photos. It's good to dress up as a clown - that would have been spooky. I don't know why clowns have got this reputation. And well done for collecting for charity. Reminded me of the stage shows I used to perform at for charity years ago.
Thank you for an enjoyable post, Mevely. God bless always.
I love licorice, but don't recall those 'smoking pipes.' No trick-or-treaters out on Chapman Road ... 3rd year in a row. :(
DeleteI never would have guessed that was a picnic cooler! Glad you got the one you did! I'm sure you had wonderful memories from yours growing up!
ReplyDeleteLoved the pictures of the costumes. You made a great clown! I do remember the costume parade but we couldn't wear our costumes to school but the school I went to had a Halloween carnival in the evening where we had the parade. And then I remember the parades from the kids when they were in school. I loved the days of trick or treating when you could get candy apples and popcorn balls; so much has changed (sadly for the worst).
We'll see how many kids come by tonight. We'll be wearing gloves and masks and handing out candy with tongs or a spoon. Last year we only had 32 trick or treaters. We also plan to sit outside with the garage door opened so we can control crowds that way better. I feel safe doing it :)
Happy Halloween!
betty
Thanks, Betty! We used to do the same thing in Arizona ... sitting outside with the garage doors up. Only time the neighbors ever visited one another. Sad ...
DeleteOh, forgot to mention; any wine with popcorn!! I'm not picky!
ReplyDeletebetty
My fare turned out to be summer squash and hot sausage dip ... gin and tonic. :)
DeleteI love that Skotch cooler...I somehow acquired one in the 60s and it was Kaitlin's toy bin. We kept it for years after she grew up.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! Mine's merely a repository for old photographs and journals.
DeleteI forgot the name "Scotch" cooler, but I know I did say Thermos Cooler or Picnic basket of some kind. So I was in the right ball park. Yes, that is a keeper! Love your photos...and that Norwegian outfit is beautiful. I wonder if it is still in the family? Yes, we had happy times as children on the farm. Our parents would also dress up and take us to the neighboring farms. My dad would have a bag filled with dried corn that we would throw handfuls of at the door to let them know we were there. My mother dressed like a blacktoothed country girl with rosy cheeks in a yellow gingham dress, and play her violin very screechy. People would invite us in and give us popcorn balls, apples, and hot cocoa, and try to "guess" who we were. Those were happy innocent times. Love your stories and your pictures. Where did you live that it got so cold? We were in PA in the early 50's, but then moved to Florida, but even then it sometimes got cold on Halloween! (cold for us). Happy memories. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYes, you and Stacy both guessed correctly! That Norwegian cap still sits in what was mother's hope chest, but I've no idea what happened to the apron. My hometown is in New Mexico, north of Santa Fe (abt. 7,200 elevation). Gosh, your childhood memories make me smile. Better than a Hallmark movie.
DeleteYou are amazing to me how you remember the past so well and have pictures too. I don't have either!
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween.
Popcorn and wine sounds perfect!
ReplyDeleteHappy November!
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LOVE the scotch plaid cooler! I had a lunchbox and thermos of that same plaid and LOVED it!
ReplyDeleteDouble Bubble!
ReplyDeleteLove the cooler.